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warn3rboy posted:I may soon be in the market for a used, fun daily driver. I can't keep reading all the praise about Miatas without looking into them further, so a question came up. What's the "best" kind of miata as far as speed, reliability, etc.? Are there certain years to watch out for? Certain years to avoid like the plague? I'm a tall guy, 6'5, but I've heard that that doesn't automatically eliminate the possibility of comfortably driving a miata... any truth to this? I suppose I'm pretty much asking for an introduction to the wonderful world of Miata. http://www.miata.net/faq/miatachanges.html Personally, I'm aiming for a '94-'97. If you're tall you can do a "foamectomy".
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Oct 11, 2007 07:23
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Krakkles posted:Given my custom title, I have to post here, right? Only if your clutch has been fixed.
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Oct 11, 2007 20:21
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meatpimp posted:Yeah, "Miatas are gay" reeks of I think you need to find it a better home. In my driveway.
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Oct 12, 2007 01:06
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Wrar posted:I might be selling mine pretty soon. We'll see. Wrong side of the country 
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Oct 12, 2007 02:24
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amadeo posted:Torsen LSD upgrade Here's a price breakdown: Differential $550.00 Drive shaft $125.00 Rear shafts $250.00 Total: $925.00 Don't forget labor costs. The quoted price seems a bit high -- I'd say somewhere around $1300 - $1500 is an alright price. It's not an easy job but it's not as labor-intensive as dropping a transmission.
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Oct 12, 2007 02:31
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Schwack posted:Ok quick question: ~$5000 would be a fair price if the car is in perfect condition. Ask about maintenance records (especially when the timing belt and water pump were last changed). If the owner doesn't even know this or it has never been changed, run away -- the car was probably neglected in other areas as well. If the car is otherwise healthy and you really like it, try to knock the price down to maybe $4,800 (cost of timing belt/water pump). Go through the Miata.net inspection checklist. GOLDMAN SACHS PARTY fucked around with this message at 03:48 on Oct 14, 2007 |
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Oct 14, 2007 03:19
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deadwing posted:I'm currently in negotiations with someone from my town to finally replace my shitwagon 2000 Chevy Malibu with a wonderful red 1994 Miata. 75k miles, new top, completely perfect interior, new timing belt and meticulous maintenance records. The maintenance records would seal the deal for me. Talk him down by some symbolic amount, maybe down to $4800 and then drive the car like you stole it. How long did it take you to find this one? I loving fail at rooting out good cars in San Diego/LA. They're either all hosed up, riced out, or have no maintenance records and clueless owners who never change the oil. Where are you located? If the car is as good as you say it is, hell, I'll buy it right now myself!
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Oct 30, 2007 22:54
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Can someone in SF please look at this car for me? http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/car/464988615.html It looks amazing and I'd love to go look at it, but I live in San Diego. Is it a good price? $6550 seems like a bit much, but I'm sure I can talk the guy down. Still, from the pictures the car seems in amazingly mint condition and only has 90k miles. GOLDMAN SACHS PARTY fucked around with this message at 23:07 on Nov 1, 2007 |
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Nov 1, 2007 07:45
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Savington posted:Walk away. That's a thousand bucks high for that car with a good history, and that one has been crashed. $6k will buy him a very nice 60,000 mile NA if he's willing to be patient. But it hasn't been crashed  The guy has all records from day 1, even the window sticker (which he sent me). This car has the Popular Equipment package. Also, the disappearing bodyline is an illusion. He sent me a larger photo and that oddity is due to a shadow, it seems:           Still think it's overpriced?
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Nov 15, 2007 19:44
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leica posted:Jesus people, saying a car has been wrecked by looking at a picture is pretty dumb. The market has been sucking around here. I'll offer him 5k and maybe we'll settle on something like 5.5k. I'm okay with paying a small premium for all the maintenance records from day 1. 
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Nov 15, 2007 20:30
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Elysium posted:people love to come out of the woodwork to tell you all about how there are 15 50k mile Miatas for sale for $3,000 in their area, when I never see poo poo like that, or they are really run down. Yeah, exactly. I've been hearing this a lot ("lol d00d it's california how can you not find a Miata") but the reality is that a lot of the cars I see are either poorly maintained by clueless owners, overpriced, or riced out. This seems to be a well-cared-for (with documentation) unmolested NA with all the options I want. I don't find leather seats comfortable, by the way, so having pretty much all the M-edition options sans leather is a plus for me. I guess you could argue that the new top makes up for lack of leather. It does have a leather steering wheel, though! edit: and a torsen 
GOLDMAN SACHS PARTY fucked around with this message at 21:26 on Nov 15, 2007 |
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Nov 15, 2007 20:45
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drat, the car looks really good  Anyone know a good mechanic in the Bay Area where I can take the car for an inspection? Nothing too involved -- just put it on the lift and give it a good look.
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Nov 16, 2007 11:16
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leica posted:I wouldn't bother, Psylocibe didn't notice anything odd when he drove it, and the pictures tell the story. It's really clean. Especially if the guy has documented maintenance and receipts, I wouldn't worry about it honestly. You really have to neglect a Miata for it to have any major mechanical issues. The only issues this one has is cosmetic and that can be fixed fairly cheap. Last Miata I looked at in LA had all maintenance records and looked great. When I put it on a lift, I saw that the transmission body had a splattering of oil on it -- rear main seal was crapping out. I'm not taking any chances with this one!
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Nov 16, 2007 19:39
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Psylocibe posted:Well I got word over AIM last night that Amir got a plane ticket and he's flying out to buy the Miata today. I'm just really hoping I didn't miss something and he winds up not getting it for whatever reason. He was pretty picky over AIM about the things to check for, but it's totally understandable, trying to buy a car long distance and all. I'd be worried too. Update: the car is loving AWESOME. Even after 9 hours of driving I had to show it off to my friends. The fun came right back! Now I have to watch out for speeding tickets -- I do not notice that I'm going fast, it's just smooth all the way from 0 to 100mph. Thanks, Psylocibe!
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Nov 18, 2007 20:26
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Psylocibe posted:Aw, I thought you were going to call me when you were in town? That's a bummer, I wanted to go tooling around with you. At least you're happy with it. I was worried you were going to go through the trouble of flying all the way out here just to find something I missed and have to go home empty handed. Glad you found your Miata. You said you were going to be at work on Saturday Keep in mind that I had to depart at 2:30 to keep my schedule of getting home before midnight.
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Nov 19, 2007 20:01
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streetlamp posted:What else could this guy have jacked up if he hit a curb hard enough to bend the control arm? The frame, and also other parts which won't fail right away but will mysteriously falter one by one. I'd stay away.
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Nov 28, 2007 02:06
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Plastic burning smell coming from the engine. Oh poo poo. What happened? loving oil dipstick plastic broke off and landed on the exhaust manifold, stunk everything up, then dislodged and is now on the freeway somewhere. An actual question: what is the best cheap (under $100) windblocker? I saw some foldable cloth ones for $60, but I suspect they'll flail around.
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Nov 28, 2007 10:59
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I'm getting an inconsistent squealing related to the clutch. For example, if I'm in gear and push the clutch in to coast, I get a continuous squeal that lasts about a second then goes away on its own. This only seems to happen at higher speeds (30+). It's pretty loud! The only consistent thing about this noise is that if I depress the clutch pedal ever so slightly while the car is in motion, I can cause to to squeak much more quietly for as long as I hold the pedal in that position. If I push the clutch in a bit more, it goes away completely. The noise sounds like a fast repetitive chirping that gets faster with speed. It only happens at 25mph+. Below 25mph, it's not audible enough to hear, even with the windows down. It's completely random, though. This morning it happened once, last week it kept doing it the whole evening, and for several days it seems to be totally quiet. Pilot bearing? If it's frozen, wouldn't the noise be at least consistently reproducible? There is this well-known TSB, but I don't think this is the issue since I get noise when I push the clutch pedal in all the way. Do I need to drop the transmission?  edit: I am a moron! It turned out to be a combination of the TSB issue and the fact that my brakes just started squealing to let me know they need replacement GOLDMAN SACHS PARTY fucked around with this message at 20:53 on Nov 28, 2007 |
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Nov 28, 2007 20:02
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Schwack posted:http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=234194224 That looks exactly like my car, but one year older If it has power windows/mirrors it's either PEP, Leather Package, or M-edition. The M-edition for 96 didn't come in Montego Blue. This car doesn't have leather seats. It's a PEP  Ask if it has a leather steering wheel, just to be sure. If it does, buy it!
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Nov 29, 2007 12:20
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Schwack posted:Ok help me out here, how much would it realistically cost me to buy a base model car and do the LSD install myself? I've found a fairly nice looking one, but its a base model car. I like not having a ton of power options, but I really want the LSD. Would it be worth it to jump on this one? Buy the car you linked to! Do it! It looks really good.
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Dec 1, 2007 00:56
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Schwack posted:I just wanna make sure I'm not being a dick here, my email back was basically going to be, "Ill only pay $5600, if you cant do that then I wont be buying from you." At least explain the out-of-state thing again and why you don't want to pay taxes a state in which you don't reside. $5600 is a perfectly reasonable price. If they insist on the fees, ask them how they plan on having the California DMV register a vehicle to a person living in a different state.
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Dec 3, 2007 23:01
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PeterWeller posted:Yeah, that vacuum tube is going to have to be replaced constantly. I think that's just for show
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Dec 7, 2007 21:59
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iwentdoodie posted:It looks like it has really pointy tits.  
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Dec 8, 2007 09:40
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Schwack posted:So to go with the NB top I need to replace the whole shebang? How much does that usually cost? About $600, plus installation (you might be able to do it yourself with thorough instructions and a helper)
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Dec 10, 2007 18:11
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What's the best windblocker for the money? I can fabricate my own, but I haven't found any good plans. The premade ones cost waaaay too much.
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Dec 11, 2007 00:30
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Schwack posted:And to answer your question, yes I did buy the 95M and am glad I did, haha. I've already gotten two compliments from strangers on the purple beast in the 5 hours I've owned it. Post some photos!
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Dec 11, 2007 12:40
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Phone posted:I swear I'm becoming neurotic with this new Miata and the noises that are coming from it. If my Miata taught me anything it's the fact that not all noises are bad!
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Feb 4, 2008 20:50
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destructo posted:
Hahaha, did you actually order this thing for your Miata?
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Feb 11, 2008 21:35
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Slopehead posted:That thing is pure sex. I absolutely love miatas in white. The curve of the trunk lid and the rear window look ugly as poo poo to me. Looking at it gives me a bad taste and that taste is called "Ford Taurus". Everything else looks excellent, but the rear seems like a drunken afterthought 
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Feb 13, 2008 23:22
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FireTora posted:They make the ride noticeably harsher but a set of factory bushings will run over $500 bucks. If I put in new shocks when replacing the bushings, will I still feel the harshness? Ride is pretty harsh already due to blown stock shocks
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Apr 9, 2008 22:22
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FireTora posted:The bushings made bumps more defined with my setup. I'm not sure how it would turn out in your case. Over all it would ride much better than now, I do not know how it would compare in harshness to what you currently have. You had relatively new working shocks prior to doing the bushings, right?
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Apr 9, 2008 23:30
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duep posted:How much pressure do I need for 215/40 R16 (Toyo Proxes) ? 28 psi or more ? It's on the sidewall.
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Apr 11, 2008 18:46
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Aegri Somnia posted:What seems sketchy about it? First, he claims it's a "pre production" model, but in fact almost all 1990 Miatas were built in 1989. It's nothing special and the seller is a loving liar. Second, he has a bunch of mods that I wouldn't really trust. Mods decrease the value of a car drastically. Last, it's a respray (!!!!!) and those stripes look ugly as poo poo. Rice alert: 0-100 in 5secs?  Rice alert: RIMMZZZZZ Rice alert: look at the air filter GOLDMAN SACHS PARTY fucked around with this message at 22:54 on Apr 21, 2008 |
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Apr 21, 2008 22:50
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I need a new suspension setup because my stock shocks puked a long time ago. I'm not really sure what to get as I don't understand much about suspension components, specifically how to figure out what kind of ride height I'm going to get and other things like that. From my limited knowledge, I've put together 2 plans: code:
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Apr 25, 2008 19:46
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iscariot posted:anti-sieze between the hub and the rotor helps that problem tremendously. What if it migrates outward?
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Apr 30, 2008 05:15
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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX posted:If the rotor moves outward? It cannot, as it is held in place by the lugnuts and wheel. iscariot posted:Then you put on too much.
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Apr 30, 2008 10:00
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Guinness posted:Read, comprehend, then post. Amir is asking/saying that getting anti-seize all over the rotor surface by putting too much between the hub and rotor would be a BAD thing for your braking ability, and hence would put you into a tree. The wheel spins at a very fast rate. Even a tiny bit of anti-seize has the potential to be flung outwards by centripetal force. I wouldn't risk it. Besides, bashing on the rotor with a hammer to free it from the hub is half the fun!
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May 1, 2008 05:26
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My '97 feels like riding a loving mine-cart over railroad tracks. Even the tiniest potholes make me cringe and cause everything to rattle. I would like to replace my shocks at least, but do I need other components such as mounts, bumpstops, springs, etc.? I was gonna go with an FM Stage 1 kit, but it seemed a bit expensive. So far here's what I have: -Tokico Illumina "Advanced Handling Kit" (shocks + springs, this kit seems about the same as the FM Stage 1 kit but I could be wrong) I've also seen recommendations for FCM bumpstops, mounts, and other things. Do I need any of this? Do I even need to replace my springs? The ebay page for the shock kit says it lowers the car, and the FM mounts increase suspension travel, which I think would be very good. Essentially, I want this to be a comfortable DD. I don't have any plans for autox or track stuff -- I just want a smooth ride that can handle some frequent "spirited driving"  My budget is around $1000-1500. PS: I don't know poo poo about installing suspension stuff, but I understand the basics and I've looked through various build pages and I think I get the basic idea. Would this be feasible to install for a beginner? All I've done on my car are oil changes, brakes, etc.
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Jun 12, 2008 18:45
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FireTora posted:Installing shocks and stuff is extremely easy if you're replacing everything since you don't have to pull off your old shock mounts and stuff. Don't you have to pull them off anyway? Do you mean I can just unscrew the mount, keeping the shock compressed, and remove the entire assembly (mount, bumpstop, and shock) all in one piece? On a related note, is there any well-illustrated guide on how to replace shocks? I think I have an idea of the parts involved and how everything fits together, but I am worried about the critical details. Here is a quick off the top of my head of the parts in order from top to bottom. Please tell me if anything is incorrect: plastic ring piece (i think this is miata-specific) mount bumpstop shock + spring Any more components I should be aware of?
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Jun 12, 2008 23:21
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My bump stops are probably mashed to poo poo by now anyway. What are the advantages of getting FCM mounts over FM mounts? They both claim to do the same thing and both come with bumpstops, but the FM ones are for rear only (2 mounts per kit) whereas the FCM mounts are for all four corners for slightly more money. This is all so drat confusing!
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Jun 13, 2008 01:07
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